Mechanical triturator for biological material

ABSTRACT

A mechanical triturator for biological material comprises a cylindrical housing defining a chamber in which a cutting member constituted by a perforated plate is disposed. A rotor member, mounted for rotation in the chamber, has a screw which cooperates with the cutting member in order, as a result of its rotation, to supply the biological material into contact with the cutting member and to cause the trituration thereof.

The present invention relates to a mechanical triturator or grinder forbiological materials such as animal or vegetable tissues and the like,which is suitable for laboratory and/or industrial use to produceseparate cells or cell nuclei, for example, for biopsy or DNA analysis.

The object of the present invention is to provide a mechanical devicewhich avoids lengthy and tedious mechanical chopping operations carriedout with scalpels or the like and enzymatic cell-separation treatments.

According to the present invention, this object is achieved by amechanical triturator comprising:

a cylindrical housing 2 defining a chamber 4,

a cutting member in the form of a foraminous plate 6 which is disposedtransversely in the chamber 4 so as to define an input portion 12 forthe supply of the material to be triturated and a portion 14 forcollecting the triturated material, and which has a plurality of bladesextending from the general plane of the plate 6 into the input portion12,

a rotor member 16 mounted for rotation in the chamber 4 and having agrinding member 20 which is fixed to the rotor 16 and is disposed in theinput portion 12, and cooperates with the cutting member 6 in order, asa result of its rotation, to supply the biological material into contactwith the blades and to cause the trituration thereof.

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention willbecome clear in the course of the detailed description which follows,given purely by way of non-limiting example, with reference to theappended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic, axial section of a triturator according to theinvention,

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the triturator of FIG. 1, and

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show schematically the sequence of use of thetriturator according to the invention.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a triturator, indicated 1, comprises acylindrical housing 2 of plastics material defining a chamber 4.

A cutting member constituted by a perforated plate 6 or disc is disposedtransversely in the chamber 4. The plate 6 may be produced by thepunching and stretching of a stainless steel plate. The perforations inthe plate have preferably dimensions of between 20 and 100 μm and theedges of each microperforation constitute trituration blades. Themicroperforations can be produced by punches with any profile andpreferably square or hexagonal profiles so that the perforated plate 6preferably has from four to six blades surrounding each hole.

A peripheral edge of the perforated plate bears against a shoulder 8 ofthe cylindrical housing 2 and the perforated plate is fixed to thelatter by means of a cylindrical bush 10 coupled with the cylindricalinternal wall of the housing 2.

The perforated plate 6 divides the chamber 4 of the housing 2 into aninput portion 12 for the supply of the material to be triturated and aportion 14 for collecting the triturated material. The blades of theperforated plate 6 are oriented towards the input portion 12.

A rotor member 16 disposed in the chamber 4 of the housing 2 comprises ashaft 18 to which a grinding member or screw 20 is fixed; the screw 20being disposed in the input portion 12 of the chamber 4 and cooperatingwith the perforated plate 6 in order, as a result of its rotation athigh speed, to supply the biological material into contact with theblades of the perforated plate 6 so as to cause the trituration of thematerial. The shaft 18 is supported for rotation by a plain bearing 22integral with the bush 10. The bearing 22 is connected to the side wallsof the bush 10 by means of two or more spokes 24 between which holes aredefined for the introduction of the material to be triturated.

The upper portion of the cylindrical housing 2 is closed by a cover 26having a central hole 28 through which the shaft 18 extends.

The rotor member 16 also comprises a sweeping blade member or rotaryscrew 30 having one or more flat blades. The sweeping blade member 30 isfixed to an end of the shaft 18 which projects into the collectionportion 14 through a hole 32 in the perforated plate 6. The blade member30 is adjacent and parallel to the lower surface of the plate in thecollection portion and, in operation, creates an upwards flow of liquidthrough the holes in the plate and thus cleans the holes. The liquidwhich exerts this cleaning action may be contained in the biologicalsample since the latter is generally constituted by a suspension oftissue or aggregated cells in a liquid.

The shaft 18 has a shank 34 at its upper end for connecting it to theshaft of a motor, for example, of the turbine type, for rotating therotor member 16.

The base of the cylindrical housing 2 is constituted by a disc 36 whichis connected to the rest of the housing by means of a weakened portion38. The disc 36 is coupled with a seat 40 in a cup-like body 42 which isintended to collect the triturated material.

With reference to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the housing 2 is fixed to thecup-like body 42 by the plug-in or snap-coupling of the disc 36 with theseat 40 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). Upon completion of the trituration of thematerial, the triturated material is collected by the removal of thecylindrical housing 2 from the base 42. During this operation, theweakened portion 38 which connects the base disc 36 to the housing 2 istorn. This ensures that the device can be used only once, to preventproblems of contamination of the material processed.

All the components of the triturator 1 except the perforated plate 6 maybe made of sterilizable plastics materials suitable for use in themedical field.

The simplicity and ease of assembly of the various components of thedevice enable the cost to be kept to an acceptable level for disposabledevices.

I claim:
 1. A mechanical triturator for biological materials adapted toprepare a sample of said biological material for biopsy or DNA analysis,characterised in that it comprises:a cylindrical housing defining achamber, a cutting member in the form of a foraminous plate with holeshaving a dimension of from 20 to 100 μm in width, which is disposedtransversely in the chamber so as to define within said chamber an inputportion for the supply of the material to be triturated and portion forcollecting the triturated material, said cutting member having aplurality of blades surrounding each hole extending from a general planeof the plate into the input portion, a rotor member mounted for rotationin the chamber and having a grinding member which is fixed to the rotorand is disposed in the input portion, and cooperates with the cuttingmember in the order, as a result of its rotation, to supply thebiological material into contact with the blades and to cause thetrituration thereof.
 2. A device according to claim 1, characterised inthat the rotary member comprises a sweeping blade member which is fixedfor rotation with the rotor, and is disposed adjacent and parallel tothe lower surface of the plate in the collection portion, said sweepingblade member being suitable for preventing the biological material fromobstructing the holes during trituration.
 3. A device according to claim1, characterised in that the plate constituting the cutting member is amicro-stretched foraminous metal plate with holes having dimensions ofbetween 20 and 100 μm in width.
 4. A device according to claim 3,characterised in that the foraminous plate constituting the cuttingmember has from four to six blades surrounding each hole.
 5. A deviceaccording to claim 1 characterised in that the housing comprises acylindrical body having an open end with a cover for closing the inputportion and a base which can be separated from the housing by thetearing of a weakened portion, the base being connectible to a cup-likecontainer for collecting the triturated material.
 6. A method fortreatment of a biological material adapted to prepare a sample forbiopsy or DNA analysis, by triturating said sample with a trituratoraccording to claim
 1. 7. A device according to claim 2, characterised inthat the plate constituting the cutting member is a micro-stretchedforaminous metal plate with holes having dimensions of between 20 and100 μm in width.
 8. A device according to claim 7, characterised in thatthe foraminous plate constituting the cutting member has from four tosix blades surrounding each hole.
 9. A device according to claim 2,characterised in that the housing comprises a cylindrical body having anopen end with a cover for closing the input portion and a base which canbe separated from the housing by the tearing of a weakened portion, thebase being connectible to a cup-like container for collecting thetriturated material.
 10. A device according to claim 3, characterised inthat the housing comprises a cylindrical body having an open end with acover for closing the input portion and a base which can be separatedfrom the housing by the tearing of a weakened portion, the base beingconnectible to a cup-like container for collecting the trituratedmaterial.
 11. A device according to claim 4, characterised in that thehousing comprises a cylindrical body having an open end with a cover forclosing the input portion and a base which can be separated from thehousing by the tearing of a weakened portion, the base being connectibleto a cup-like container for collecting the triturated material.
 12. Adevice according to claim 7, characterised in that the housing comprisesa cylindrical body having an open end with a cover for closing the inputportion and a base which can be separated from the housing by thetearing of a weakened portion, the base being connectible to a cup-likecontainer for collecting the triturated material.
 13. A device accordingto claim 8, characterised in that the housing comprises a cylindricalbody having an open end with a cover for closing the input portion and abase which can be separated from the housing by the tearing of aweakened portion, the base being connectible to a cup-like container forcollecting the triturated material.
 14. A method for treatment of abiological material adapted to prepare a sample for biopsy or DNAanalysis, by triturating said sample with a triturator according toclaim
 2. 15. A method for treatment of a biological material adapted toprepare a sample for biopsy or DNA analysis, by triturating said samplewith a triturator according to claim
 3. 16. A method for treatment of abiological material adapted to prepare a sample for biopsy or DNAanalysis, by triturating said sample with a triturator according toclaim
 4. 17. A method for treatment of a biological material adapted toprepare a sample for biopsy or DNA analysis, by triturating said samplewith a triturator according to claim
 5. 18. A method for treatment of abiological material adapted to prepare a sample for biopsy or DNAanalysis, by triturating said sample with a triturator according toclaim
 7. 19. A method for treatment of a biological material adapted toprepare a sample for biopsy or DNA analysis, by triturating said samplewith a triturator according to claim
 8. 20. A method for treatment of abiological material adapted to prepare a sample for biopsy or DNAanalysis, by triturating said sample with a triturator according toclaim 13.